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The common cold, like influenza, is a viral infection. Although innoculations can help prevent the flu, antibiotics (which kill bacteria) are only effective in treating bacterial infections (such as pneumonia) that may result.
Paxton Brown
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∙ 8y agoThe common cold, like influenza, is a viral infection. Although innoculations can help prevent the flu, antibiotics (which kill bacteria) are only effective in treating bacterial infections (such as pneumonia) that may result.
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Are antibiotics effective to shorten the duration of a cold or flu?
No, antibiotics are not the right medication for a cold. Antibiotics are for treating bacterial infections. The common cold is caused by a virus, not bacteria, and will not be affected by antibiotics. There may be a situation where a doctor may prescribe antibiotics for a secondary bacterial infection after a cold or flu, but the cold itself can not be treated with antibiotics...it is a waste of money to use them for a cold and is also an unnecessary risk of adverse reactions or allergies to the antibiotics.
Why do antibodies not work on flu?
Assuming the question is a typo for "Why do antibiotics not work on a flu?", the reason is quite simple. Influenza (Flu) is caused by a virus, not a bacteria or parasite. When you have an infection, and your doctor prescribes you antibiotics, they are working on a bacterial or parasitic infection, not a viral infection. Put quite simply, antibiotics are not effective whatsoever against viruses.
What would you not use in treating a virus?
Antibiotics are not effective against viruses, only against bacteria. Antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu are effective against most forms of H1N1 and many other flu viruses
Why are antibiotics not given unless a serious infection?
Bacteria can become immune to antibiotics and the antibiotics will not work in the future when you need them. They only work against bacteria and cold and flu are caused by viruses.
Why cant anti-biotics be used on flu or hiv?
Penicillin is an antibiotic; it fights bacteria. Flu and HIV are viruses, and antibiotics will not help a viral infection. Penicillin is effective against some types of bacteria. It has no action against viral infections like influenza (the flu) and HIV.
When and who created the antibiotics for the flu fevercold chickenpox and the mumps?
Flu, cold, chickenpox, and mumps are viral and aren't treated with antibiotics.
A paragraph on antibiotics ''why antibiotics are not overused?
The more antibiotics are used, the more likely it is for antibiotic resistant organisms to appear. The germ causing the infection can become resistant ("immune") to the antibiotic, then it will basically make it useless in the fight against that germ. Antibiotics are medicines that are used to kill or stop the reproduction in bacteria. Antibiotics are mainly used to stop infections or infectious diseases, and since its discovery,If antibiotics is overused it may kill the benefitical bacteria in our body if we take unneccesarly the drugs become less effective .Antibiotics, however,are not effective against cold and flu as these are caused by viruses.
Why isn't flu treated with antibiotics?
Antibiotics are useful against bacteria; they do not do anything about viruses.
What is wrong with people taking antibiotics to help the flu?
Antibiotics only treat bacterial infections. The flu is a virus. Thus it has no effect against it.
Does azithromycin help with a severe cold or flu?
No. Antibiotics do not help viral infections such as the cold or flu. Antibiotics are specifically for helping with treatment of bacterial infections or for preventing bacterial infections and do nothing to an inanimate virus.
Do antibiotics fight bacteria?
Antibitics destroy bacteris by breaking don the cell wlls inside harmful bacteria. They are not effective against virus infections such as colds or Flu
If somebody has swine flu should the drink antibiotics such as Tylenol or Motrin?
1) Tylenol and Motrin are not antibiotics. They are painkillers, and each has products available for relief of cold and flu symptoms.2) Antibiotics cannot cure the flu, which is a virus. Antibiotics only kill bacteria-based illnesses.
